The Thunder Storm of a Social Disorder: Brontophobia
Brontophobia can be medically defined as the fear of thunder, not storms. While the person who has the fear of thunder understands that this noise inevitable poses not threat to them, they react with very high levels of anxiety when thunder is heard or even imminent. A thunder storm can create an immediate need for reaction and thus Brontophobia is an anxiety based disorder with very real physical effects on the person who fears the thunder storm.
A thunder storm is most often a mild event. Even in the loudest of conditions, the thunder storm is nothing that can cause physical harm to a person. But in the case of Brontophobia, the person feels as though they are in some sort of danger when they hear the thunder storm clapping or when a thunder storm is going to occur. The person with the fear of a thunder storm will react differently to the thunder storm based upon where they are, physically, when the thunder storm is taking place.
When out of doors, the person with the fear of the thunder storm may find themselves dealing with very high levels of anxiety. These feelings of anxiety related to the thunder storm can cause physical effects on the body. During times of immense anxiety, the fight or flight response will be initiated. This response is a natural response to a situation that threatens harm on the person fearing the thunder storm. The pupils will dilate in order for vision to be improved. The lungs will open up and the heart rate will increase in order to prepare the body to run. The blood pressure will raise in order to adapt to the running that is about to occur and the blood from the extremities will drain in order to reduce bleeding during the fight.
The fear of a thunder storm can thus cause the body to move from a normal state of reaction to a heightened state of reaction. For this reason, when the thunder storm is through, the Brontophobic will often feel drained of all energy and need to rest in order to continue with normal daily activities.
When inside during the thunder storm, the reactions of the body will be the same, but the thunder storm sounds will cause the person to physically hide as if they are in danger. They may climb under a table, hide under a blanket or run into a closet in order to escape the impending sense of doom associated with the fear of the thunder storm.
While many believe the fear of a thunder storm is left for the youngest of children, adults are the most common sufferers of this very real social anxiety based condition. The Brontophobia will often be observed avoiding all activities out of doors when the chance of a thunder storm is on the horizon. Medical attention can help the Brontophobic sufferer to regain the control that the fear of a thunder storm takes away.